A BRADFORD-born photographer will showcase nearly 50 years of his work in a new crowdfunded book following the success of an exhibition.

LIFE. Ian Beesley: Retrospective is a 200-page coffee table-style book set to feature black and white images taken across the Bradford district and beyond since the 1970s.

It follows a free exhibition of the same name, which closed last month, and was located in the roof space of Salts Mill. It includes sections dedicated to different themes of his work including photographs of Bradford mills of yesteryear, Bradford Bulls, the Bantams, coal mines and pubs from Bradford taken during the 1970s and 80s.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Martyn Bissett as a boy leaning against street wall in original photograph taken by Ian Beesley in Bilton Place in 1977 Martyn Bissett as a boy leaning against street wall in original photograph taken by Ian Beesley in Bilton Place in 1977 (Image: Ian Beesley)

The exhibition was a success, as it had more than 32,000 visitors in its 10-week run. It was the first time Mr Beesley had held a retrospective of his career’s work in the UK after previous similar exhibitions took place in Finland and China.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Some of the images displayed during Ian Beesley's exhibition in SaltaireSome of the images displayed during Ian Beesley's exhibition in Saltaire (Image: Ian Beesley)

Now the publishers of the forthcoming book, Bluecoat Press, have set up an online crowdfunding page on the Kickstarter website for fans of Mr Beesley’s work to help towards the costs of the project. The page has raised around £11,000 towards its £12,000 target. The crowdfunding page is open until 11.55am on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The front cover of the forthcoming coffee table-style bookThe front cover of the forthcoming coffee table-style book (Image: Ian Beesley)

The book will be officially launched at an event at Salts Mill in the new year.

Mr Beesley, 68, said: “The book is quite a prestigious thing.

“It’s nice to put all of my work together. All of the other books I have done have just had bits and pieces of my work.

“It’s going to be a big, thick book, a hard cover, coffee table-style book.

 

“The success of the exhibition was unbelievable. People were going to see it a few times.

“A lot of people heard about the exhibition but could not get to it in person because they lived abroad and wanted to know about a book.

“It gives a chronological line to see the development of my career. I come from the background of the pictures too. I did work in industry. I came from that background as opposed to the vast majority of photographers who don’t come from working class backgrounds.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Ian Beesley's black and white image of the Moulders Arms pub which closed in the 1980s in Bradford Ian Beesley's black and white image of the Moulders Arms pub which closed in the 1980s in Bradford (Image: Ian Beesley)

Mr Beesley’s body of photographic work is held in the collections of Bradford City Art galleries and museums, the National Science and Media Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the V & A London.

Go to kickstarter.com/projects/ms1/life-7 to make a donation to the book fund.

 

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